Introducing our new blog!

Hi. We’re Jim and Loretta McKinney from New Boston, Michigan. We’re starting this blog so we can share our interest in traditional music and dance. Our focus will be mostly on Michigan, since this is where we were born, raised, where we work, and where we play.

We have an acoustic, instrumental, square dance & contra dance band -- The Golden Griffon Stringtet. Jim plays fiddle and guitar, and  Loretta plays hammered dulcimer. We also have Renzo Hutchinson on guitar and Irish flute, and Bob Ewald on upright bass.  Our son, Tommy, plays fiddle with us, too, and even some guitar.

Loretta

Jim playing at the Novi Heritage Festival.
(He was Mr. August on their calendar.)

Tommy

From left: Jim, Renzo, Bob, John Freeman
(one of the dance prompters we work with), and Loretta

We play for square dances, contra dances, weddings and wedding receptions, holiday and Christmas parties, civil war re-enactment dances, heritage festivals, living history events, community fairs, concert performances, educational programs, etc., etc., etc.

Our website is: GoldenGriffonStringtet.com

We’ll be blogging about what is on our performance schedule, as well as what we’re participating in just for fun. And, we’ll also be blogging about some events that we might not be able to attend, but that are worth mentioning.

Our instruments and music will be another topic for discussion. In fact, on Monday, November 28 at 7:00pm, we’ll be at Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, Wayne County Community College Downriver, playing some tunes and talking about our instruments and music. More info at Golden Griffon at WCCC.